Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter” premiered on Wednesday, the start of a groundbreaking season for the UFC’s long-running reality competition series.

For the first time, women are competing for a chance to become “The Ultimate Fighter” – and living in the same house with their male counterparts on the show.

Now that we know who won their fights to get into the “TUF” house from Wednesday’s two-hour season opener on FOX Sports 1, for the first time, go behind the scenes of the process prospective fighters needed to go through in order to get a shot to win their way into the house.

In April, women and men bantamweights were invited to tryouts at Palace Station in Las Vegas, where UFC President Dana White and matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby looked in on nearly 300 fighters hoping to advance to a shot at the show.

In the video above, check out White talking to a ballroom full of of hopeful fighters, candidates grappling and hitting mats while Silva and Shelby observe and interviews with those trying out.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.